Oh God.....they've got to Derrick. I bet he's sitting at home right now in his "Be the Reds" shirt spanking to the notion of becoming the only white guy in the inner circle of Korean invaders as they take over the world. Kind of like the Irish lawyer in the Godfather who managed to hang with the "family."

Korea has made very impressive progress over the past fifty years and has already established itself as an economic force. As for Korea becomming the future world power, I'd put my money on China in a second over this place.

I just went to Fukuoka for the weekend - it was my first time out of Korea since arriving in January.

For the first time in those five months, I didn't have to deal with staring, spit everywhere I walk, garbage all over the place, etc. I didn't even encounter many smokers. Best of all, not one person made a comment that I was "fat". The streets and alleyways seemed to be swept broom-clean. Elderly Japanese seemed so friendly compared to the rudeness I have seen in many of the adjummas in Korea. Basically, I felt respected as a person.

As soon as I arrived back in Busan for my bus trip home, I encountered the same old things again - every one of them in the first hour.

Now I feel depressed and wish I were teaching in Japan or back home. Has anyone else experienced this feeling and how do you deal with it? I hope to visit Japan again next month if I can. Thanks!

Why put up with the torture of working in Korea? Take the next plane out to Japan... Why work here if you don't want to???